Redoing My Life (Modern Family)

"Sign here, here, and here," Mitchell instructed, pointing to each spot on the document. He stood behind me as I sat at my desk in my office at the publishing company.

The documents were for the contract with Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant. Things were finally picking up for the project, especially now that John Wick had begun shooting.

"So, have you started looking for a new home yet?" I asked as I signed.

Mitchell let out a short laugh. "No, Danny, we're not moving."

"Really? Because Cam's been dropping hints about it for like a year. I don't know how you haven't noticed."

"There are no hints," Mitchell replied, dismissing my observation with a wave of his hand.

"Even Margot noticed when we came to dinner two months ago," I said.

=====

Margot, Cam, Mitchell, and I were seated in their cozy, albeit cramped, dining area. Cam was gesturing animatedly at the kitchen as we sipped wine.

"I just wish this kitchen was bigger," Cam sighed dramatically. "I can't tell you how frustrating it is to bump into walls every time I cook."

"Why don't you look for a bigger house, then?" Margot asked.

Cam's eyes lit up briefly before darting to Mitchell, who was busy slicing bread at the counter. Cam waited for a reaction, but Mitchell just laughed obliviously.

"No, no, we love our little house!" Mitchell said cheerily.

Cam had blinked, stunned, and then poured himself another glass of wine.

====

I shook my head, snapping out of the memory. "It's not like you're strapped for cash, Mitch. I pay you a lot of money. A lot," I emphasized, pointing at him.

Mitchell shrugged. "It's not about the money. That house has so many memories for us."

"Right," I said, leaning forward on the desk. "But memories don't magically expand square footage."

Mitchell rolled his eyes and started gathering the documents. "We're fine where we are. Really."

I sighed and leaned back. "Okay, okay. So, is there more for me to sign, or are we done here?"

Mitchell smiled. "Nope, that's it."

The door to my office opened just as Mitchell was gathering the documents.

"Daddy!" I heard Lily's voice as she burst through the door, her small feet padding across the carpet.

Mitchell looked exasperated. "Lily, I told you to stay in Daddy's office!" he said, walking over to her.

Lily glanced at me, then back at Mitchell with her hands on her hips. "Your office is boring. Danny's is nicer," she said matter-of-factly.

I couldn't help but smirk. "She's got you there, Mitch."

Mitchell sighed, clearly resigned. "I'm sorry about this, Daniel. I had to bring her with me—Cam had a—"

"It's fine, man. No one's complaining," I said, waving it off. "Honestly, Lily makes the place better just by being here." I shot her a smile, and she gave me a wide, toothy grin in return.

Mitchell held up the documents. "So, with this… the whole thing with DiCaprio is finally done."

"Well, it's been a wild ride to get here," I muttered, the memory of dealing with Weinstein flashing through my mind.

Mitchell gave me a sympathetic look. "Well, everything worked out in the end."

My gaze shifted to Lily, who was now darting around the office, her energy boundless. The space was large enough to accommodate her impromptu exploration.

"Lily, stop—" Mitchell started, only to be interrupted by his phone ringing. He sighed and picked it up, walking toward the corner to take the call.

I turned my attention back to Lily and motioned for her to come over. "Hey, Lily," I said as she skipped toward me. "I heard Cam's been reading you my Percy Jackson books."

Her face lit up with excitement, and she nodded vigorously as she began telling me about what she liked about the book—at least as much as a five-year-old could articulate. In the corner of my eye, I could see Mitchell growing more animated on his phone call. His voice got louder and more frustrated with each passing second.

"Lily is with me, Cam! You can't just… This is so you, Cam! You start something, and you expect me to finish it!" Mitchell's voice rose an octave as he threw his free hand in the air. "What happened to showing our daughter the value of taking a stand? … Fine, okay! I'll come." He let out a heavy sigh and hung up, muttering under his breath.

I turned to him. "What's going on?"

Mitchell sighed again, rubbing his temples. "Cam is protesting the cutting down of a tree in the park."

Lily, still perched next to me, threw her arms up. "Yay, Dad!"

"Yes, yay Dad," Mitchell said flatly, giving her a side-eye.

"A tree?" I asked.

"It has some sentimental value…" Mitchell said. "And now Cam calls me saying I have to come take his place because he has to fill in for a play—the lead actor is sick."

"Well," I said with a chuckle, "that does sound like Cam."

"Exactly!" Mitchell exclaimed, exasperated. "He's so…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Lily! Come on, we have to go."

"No, Daddy, I want to stay here with Danny!" Lily protested, crossing her arms.

"Lily, Daniel is busy," Mitchell said firmly, giving her a look.

But I stepped in. "No, no, it's fine. Lily can stay here. You go save your tree. I'll put on a movie or something for her."

"Yay!" Lily cheered, jumping up and down in excitement.

Mitchell hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I said, giving him a reassuring wave. "We'll be fine. Go be a hero…to the tree."

Lily tugged on my sleeve. "Let's watch the new Toy Story!" she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, you're in luck, Lily, because I just so happen to have a copy," I said, matching her excitement.

Mitchell gave me a wary look. "Fine. But don't let her cause trouble," he said, narrowing his eyes at Lily, who feigned innocence with an exaggerated smile.

"I'll be good, Daddy!" Lily promised, nodding earnestly.

Mitchell sighed and grabbed his bag. "Alright, I'll be back soon."

"Take your time—save the tree!" I said, waving him off.

Mitchell rolled his eyes and headed for the door. Just as he opened it, his phone rang again. "Oh, for the love of—" he groaned, glancing at the caller ID. "It's Cam," he muttered before stepping out, already answering the call with a resigned, "What now, Cam?"

As the door closed, I looked at Lily. "Alright, kiddo, let's get that movie started."

"Yay!" she said again, hopping onto the couch.

I sat Lily down in front of the TV in my office, letting her watch Toy Story 3, which was still in theaters. Of course, I had a copy—it was actually a longer version, a director's cut, you could say. She seemed happy enough, so I turned my attention to my desk, where the pages of my new manuscript lay. It was my first attempt at horror, titled The Others. I had only just begun writing it after pitching the idea to Lucy a few weeks ago, but so far, I thought I was doing a decent job with it.

I was deep into reading the latest chapter when my phone buzzed, breaking my concentration. I glanced at the screen and saw Julie's name flashing.

"Hey, Boss," she said the moment I answered.

"Hey, Jules. I didn't forget anything, did I?" I asked, already feeling the stirrings of panic.

"Forget anything? Oh my God, Daniel!" Julie's voice was sharp.

"What? What did I forget?" I asked, racking my brain and coming up blank.

"The Netflix execs are coming to Stardust today! In two hours!" she exclaimed.

"Oh fu—" I stopped myself mid-word, glancing at Lily, who had looked over at me curiously.

"I'm going now," I said quickly, standing up. I glanced back at Lily, an idea forming in my mind. "I might even bring a test audience," I added before hanging up.

I walked over to Lily, who was still looking at me with those wide, curious eyes. "Hey, Lily. How about we go visit the place where cartoons are made?" I asked, crouching slightly to meet her at eye level.

"Let's gooo!" Lily said, hopping off the couch and practically bolting toward the door.

"Huh," I said. "I thought you'd want to finish the movie."

Lily looked back at me with a shrug. "I've seen it once… It's boring now."

"Wow," I mouthed, taken aback. "Okay then… Let's go."

.

.

.

"Well, Lily, here we are," I said as we entered the animation studio of Stardust Studios, which, of course, was its own separate sprawling department with its own head.

Lily looked around, her eyes wide, taking in the busy environment with animators at their desks, sketches pinned on walls, and computers humming with activity. "Where are the cartoons?" she asked, tilting her head.

I chuckled, pointing at the bustling artists. "They're making them."

Her face scrunched up in confusion. "I thought we were gonna see real cartoons!" she said, her voice laced with disappointment.

I laughed. "Ah, sorry, Lily. But the real cartoons? They're in cartoon land, and we can't visit there."

She let out a small, dejected "Oh…" and kicked her tiny foot against the floor, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"Come on," I said with a grin, crouching slightly to her level. "How about I show you a new Percy Jackson cartoon? You like Percy, right?"

Her face brightened instantly, her eyes lighting up. "Yes!" she said, suddenly excited again.

I smiled and held out my hand, which she eagerly grabbed as we made our way farther into the building. We walked down the hallway until we reached a bustling room where the animators were hard at work. Spotting Annie, one of the head animators, I walked over to her.

"Hey, Annie," I said as I approached.

"Mr. Adler," she greeted warmly, standing up from her desk.

I gave her a mock stern look. "Annie, I told you to call me Daniel. You're like twenty years older than me."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Old habits die hard."

Her eyes drifted down to Lily, who was holding my hand and looking up at her shyly. "And who's this?"

"This is Lily," I said, gesturing to her. Then, looking at Lily, I added, "Lily, say hi."

"Hi," she said shyly, hiding slightly behind my leg.

Annie's face softened instantly. "Oh my gosh, you're so cute," she said, crouching slightly to meet Lily's eye level.

Lily giggled softly but stayed close to me.

I straightened up and said to Annie, "I'm looking after Lily today. I need a favor—can you set up the viewing for the Percy Jackson episode in the common area? I'll bring everyone there after the meeting."

"Of course," Annie said with a nod. "Give me a couple of minutes."

I turned to Lily and crouched down again. "Okay, Lily, this nice lady will take you to see the cartoon."

Lily's smile wavered slightly. "You're not coming?" she asked, her grip on my hand tightening a little.

"I'll join you in five minutes, I promise," I said, patting her head gently.

Lily hesitated for a moment, but then reluctantly let go of my hand. "Okay," she said, walking over to Annie.

"Don't worry," Annie said to Lily with a warm smile. "We'll have fun while we wait."

I watched as Lily left with Annie, still glancing back at me every few steps. Once she disappeared around the corner, I turned and quickly made my way to the room where the Netflix execs were waiting.

====

I walked into the room to find the Netflix executives already gathered. "Gentlemen," I said as I entered, extending my hand to the nearest exec.

After the pleasantries were exchanged—firm handshakes, polite chuckles, and mutual affirmations of how pleased everyone was to be working together—we got down to business.

"So," I began, taking my seat at the head of the table, "I assume you've been given the grand tour?"

One of the execs, a sharp-dressed man with a graying beard, nodded. "Oh yes, very impressive. Some of us were here last time."

"Glad to hear it," I said, leaning back in my chair. Owning four percent of Netflix gave me considerable leverage, but I wasn't the sole decision-maker. The other execs needed to see what I brought to the table.

Another exec, a younger guy with slicked-back hair and an ever-present smirk, chimed in. "This new show has already proven to be quite profitable—and it's not even out yet."

He was right. The buzz surrounding Percy Jackson had been immense. Since we'd announced the project, my fandom—particularly my Percy Jackson fandom—had flocked to Netflix. Subscriptions had surged over the past two months, directly correlating with the hype: the kind of data these guys drooled over.

"Well," I said with a slight grin, "that's what you get, gentlemen, when you work with me."

There was a ripple of laughter, not too loud, but enough to acknowledge the compliment. One of the older execs said, "Well, Mr. Adler, I've heard you had a Midas touch. I think I understand now."

Another laugh echoed around the table, this one louder. I smirked, knowing that nickname had been thrown around even before I started Midas Productions.

We shifted into other details. One of the decisions that was still not made was what to name the show. Some leaned toward calling it Heroes of Olympus. Others, however, were adamant about keeping the Percy Jackson name. I was torn on the matter since I liked both names.

The meeting soon came to a close. I stood and motioned for them to follow me so I could show them some completed work. I led them down a sleek hallway toward the screening area Annie had set up. As we entered, I spotted Lily seated in a plush chair, her small legs swinging in the air as her wide eyes remained glued to the screen. On the monitor, Percy was being shown around Camp Half-Blood.

The animation was similar to that Vox Machina show I never got around to watching in my old life, or the Castlevania animated series, even Invincible—a style I enjoyed and had worked with the artists to create for the show.

"As you can see," I said, gesturing toward Lily, "we already have an audience."

The execs chuckled softly, clearly charmed by the sight of her engrossed in the show. One leaned in slightly and asked, "Is it suitable for someone her age?"

I smirked. "Well, that depends on the parent, I suppose. But let's be honest—Lily here isn't the age demographic we're going for."

Lily turned to me briefly, flashing a proud grin before returning her focus to the screen. The scene had shifted to Percy being shown around the camp by Chiron.

We all stood silently, watching, until one of them finally broke the silence. "This is… impressive. Really impressive. It's already better than I expected."

Another chimed in. "Our stock has gone up twenty percent since last month, mostly thanks to the news around this."

I turned to them with a grin. "Gentlemen, I'm going to make a bold prediction. By the end of the year, I believe the stock will hit the high eighties."

The room went quiet for a beat, and then the execs exchanged glances—some intrigued, others skeptical.

"That's quite bold," one finally said.

I shrugged, my grin widening. "Well, I've been known for being quite bold."

.

.

.

Lily and I left Stardust, her tiny arms clutching a plush Lotso the Bear—a revamped version of the character's merch that was set to be released soon, especially after the movie came out. It was an enhanced design compared to when the Toy Story books had first been released.

We found Mitchell in the park he said he was going to. Lily instantly spotted him in the small crowd gathered around a tree. "Daddy is on the tree!" she exclaimed with excitement. I followed her gaze and, sure enough, there was Cam, perched on a branch, wearing—of all things—a Cats costume.

"What the hell…" I muttered under my breath as Lily bolted toward Mitchell, who scooped her up, listening patiently as she animatedly recounted her day.

Mitchell's attention shifted to me. He looked both amused and mortified, his eyes flicking back to Cam's precarious position in the tree. "Don't ask," he said preemptively.

One of the city officials nearby announced, "Alright, pack it up, folks. We're done for the day."

Cam, still clinging to the tree, declared triumphantly, "We did it! Lily, look! Your daddy saved the tree!"

Mitchell sighed. "I'll head to City Hall tomorrow to make sure they stick to their word... but yeah, Cam, you did it."

"No, Mitchell, we did it," Cam insisted, looking down from his lofty perch. "You dropped everything to come here when I needed you."

"Maybe I should tweet about this," I mused, pulling out my phone. "Could help the cause."

"Yes! Do it! But make sure you get a good angle," Cam called out, attempting a heroic pose.

I took the photo, trying not to laugh.

"Let's go home," Lily said, hugging Lotso tighter. "I have to play."

"Yes, Lily," Cam began, his voice thick with self-importance. "But I want you to remember this moment—the day your daddies saved—"

His words were cut short as his footing slipped. With a shriek, Cam's costume snagged on a branch, leaving him dangling comically mid-air, his arms flailing wildly.

"Oh my God!" I gasped before bursting into laughter, clutching my stomach.

"AH! AH! Lily, don't look! Mitchell, Daniel, turn her away! Don't let her see!" Cam shrieked, his face bright red, his arms flapping helplessly as he swung in the air.

Mitchell buried his face in his hand. "Cam…"

Still laughing, I pulled out my phone again. "I'll call the fire department," I managed between gasps. "And maybe get another photo."

Cam's flailing intensified. "NO PHOTOS! DANIEL!"